The Need for Organisational Resilience - Chapter 3

An aerial photograph of Sedan. The area is littered with bomb and artillery craters. (BArch, n.d.)

At the centre of the attack, Reinhardt’s XLI Panzer Corps approached the Meuse at the French town of Monthermé, on 12 th May 1940. Odds on their crossing the river were stacked

against them. Most of their supplies had not arrived yet, and most of the Luftwaffe’s effort

was concentrated on Sedan. They faced well-prepared French positions, manned by

regulars of the 102nd Fortress division. The Germans needed to cross the river in full sight

of the French defenders, who had entrenched themselves in the town of Monthermé since

the beginning of the war, as well as in the overlooking heights.

In the early hours of the 13th, 6th Panzer, under the leadership of General Kempf,

cleared the areas on the right bank of the Meuse. Under the protecting fire of some Panzer

IIIs and IVs, the first wave had prepared themselves to enter the fast-flowing stream when

the French opened up.

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